Tropical storms are called cyclones here, and yes, it is the season. New Zealand occasionally cops the tail end of a cyclone but rarely are they still cyclones when they get there. The storm that caused the deaths when it hit the Sydney to Hobart yacht race off the south coast of NSW was associated with a cold front, it was not a cyclone. Just as deadly, though. Cyclone Debbie last year was the most severe cyclone to hit the tropical Queensland coast for some years, and caused significant damage on landfall, but the greater damage was when it became a rain depression and dumped huge amounts of rain on SE Queensland and northern NSW.